Alsace Lorraine Champagne Travel guide

Alsace Lorraine Champagne : Michelin's recommendations

From Paris, you can cross Champagne, Lorraine and Alsace in a flash! The TGV Est (high-speed train) takes 45 minutes to reach Reims, capital of the Champagne region, then continues on to Nancy, and finally to Strasbourg in barely 2 hours and 30 minutes. Historically, these hilly regions were heavily affected by the 1st World War. Verdun was the largest battle in French history, and nearly a century later the landscapes are still marked by the terrible fighting. Champagne gave its name to one of the most famous wines in the world, about which Churchill said: ‘‘I can’t live without champagne: when I’m victorious, I deserve it, and when defeated it consoles me.’’ You can visit the huge cellars dug into Reims Mountain where millions of corks are waiting to be popped! Nancy, the capital of Lorraine, has a diverse legacy, including works from the Medieval, Classical and Art Nouveau periods. With its wrought-iron gates, Place Stanislas, a masterpiece of French classicism, is one of the most beautiful squares in France. The region is also known around the world for its Baccarat crystal. When you reach Strasbourg, whose cathedral is visible from a distance of 50km, you’ve finally made it to Alsace! Like Lorraine, Alsace was reunited with France after the 1st World War, and is a magnificent region with a strong identity. The wine route takes you through Colmar and picturesque Disney-like villages such as Riquewihr and Eguisheim.

Alsace Lorraine Champagne : Must-see towns and regions

Whether viewed on foot or from a boat along the canals of this “Little Venice”, the fountains, half-timbered houses and geranium-decked balconies represent quintessential Alsace, unchanged by either w...

It is difficult to summarize the capital of Lorraine, but in an effort to do so the following are key: first, the wonderful Place Stanislas, a harmonious masterpiece by the town’s Polish duke; Jacques...

Artistic city, site of coronations, seat of a university, Reims is famous for its cathedral and basilica of St Rémi. It is also the joint capital of Champagne (along with Épernay). Bounded by a belt o...

One of two European “capitals”, Strasbourg is the seat of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, yet manages to retain its human scale around its Gothic cathedral and old Petite France qua...

The capital of the Marne has the discreet charm of a provincial town. In a region redolent of wartime memories, it retains some fine half-timbered houses, old bridges, large public gardens ideal for s...

Metz has 3 000 years of history (Roman, medieval, classical, germanic) as the city’s architecture bears witness to. By night it illuminates its buildings: the cathedral of St Étienne with splendid sta...

Atmosphere, atmosphere - yes, this town that was governed for a long time by Alain Peyrefitte has real atmosphere, with the shape of the Tour de César and the Dome of Saint-Quiriace. Then there are th...

The Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 had a detrimental effect on the local economy in these parts, although it didn't prevent the drapers from continuing to prosper. While walking through the...